In college, my instructors told me networking was the key to success. In business, my mentors told me “your network equals your net worth.” To be honest with you, until recently, I did not enjoy going to business networking events. It was because I was so sick of giving people the same old sales pitch. I just could not get past seeing every person I met as a dollar sign instead of their true unique value. Once I truly understood that this is not a game of just shaking hands, but building relationships, I started having a blast.
Now, I recommend every young entrepreneur attend minimum one networking event per week. Whether it is a sales presentation, after hours social, or some type of seminar, you have the chance to meet great business minded people face-to-face. While online social networking has brought a whole new dynamic to building relationships, it is still missing the high touch interaction which can never be replaced.
